I am hosting my very first Brands and Bellini’s Visionary Brunch July 15th in New Brunswick New Jersey. Brands and Belinis Visionary Brunch’s mission is to focus on building partnerships with dreamers alike through the power of collaboration. Powered by Collideascopes, this event to network across, grow personal brands and create a space where brands can build mutually beneficial relationships whether it be in beauty, fashion, technology, skincare, or any other industry; whether you are starting tomorrow or have been in the game for years – all are welcome.This event will feature a panel of influencers in several industries and years of experience. Our panelists will have the opportunity to share their tools, how they’ve worked their way to their current status and how they are continuing to work while building their brand.Location: Above Arts Studio 55 b Morris Ave New Brunswick, NJDate: July 15, 2018Time: 11am -3pmBrunch| Build Relationships| Develop Skills together| Party!

Keep walking is exactly what this blended Scotch Whiskey label plans to do as it evolves its brand in these changing times.

Behind every strong and successful man is a strong and successful Woman

…and Johnnie Walker has recognized that. In recognition of women who lead the way, Johnnie Walker unveiled Jane Walker, the first-ever female iteration of the brand’s original logo.

The Jane Walker Edition launch this month– just in time for Women’s History Month.

The bottle is retailed at $35 and for every Jane Walker Edition bottle produced, Johnnie Walker will donate $1 to organizations supporting women’s progress, up to $250,000.

Now in my opinion whiskey has always been a preferred choice for men. I’ve recently noticed that women have taken a liking to whiskey. Resulting in Whiskey manufacturers developing flavored whiskeys in an attempt to expand their reach to the women and younger demographic. This limited edition can potentially spark the interest of the Wonder Women in the Whiskey arena. I myself am a Bourbon girl (The peet and smokiness in Scotch Whiskey is too advanced for my pallet) However, this initiative is too powerful for me not to support. I plan on purchasing my limited edition this week.

Please share your thoughts on the Jane Walker Edition!

Do you think this is a step in the right direction for Johnnie Walker?

Can this be a beginning of a new product?

What can Johnnie Walker/ Diagio do in regards of product development to expand their reach to women consumers?

As we approach the Big Game this Sunday, some brands decided to save us the anticipation by leaking teasers for their commercials that will officially air on Game Day.

PepsiCo announced that its two brands -Doritos and Mountain Dew will share air time in a 60- second lip sync battle.

The ad doesn’t focus on the classic Doritos and Mountain Dew products. Instead, it spotlights two of Pepsico’s newest flavors -Doritos Blaze and Mountain Dew Ice. The Fire and Ice concept is a nice touch and plays nicely with a Game of Thrones concept.

Game of Thrones star, Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman battle it off with cameos from Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott as their coaches.

Both brands are known for having a passionate fan base. That said, having the two movie stars have at it in a passionate lip sync battle is a nice touch.

Check the flick below for a “taste” of what to expect

Which Side will you Choose?

After seeing this teaser, it definitely peaked my interest in trying Doritos Blaze and washing it down with MTN Dew ICE.

Taking advantage of the trend, No Shave November, Shea moisture released their #DefineYourbeard Campaign November 1st.

For the past few years now, it’s become part of the millennial culture for men to spend special attention to their facial hair. Much so that there has been a tremendous surge in products and services that cater to the this bearded community.

It only makes sense that Shea Moisture (Predominantly known for hair and skin care products) expanded their product line to cater to men.

Take a look at the new commercial that is quite frankly, a “thirst trap” for all females who appreciate a man with a beard:

Shea Moisture expanded their product line to cater to the needs of men about a year ago but the beard line is fairly new to the market.

There are 4 products men can use to keep their beards immaculately masculine:

We often overlook the importance Packaging plays in the Marketing Mix of a company but good packaging done right will never cause us to overlook the product in the grocery aisle. Food is a central part of our culture, so it’s no surprise that there’s been an explosion of great food packaging design to go along with the rise in food products We’ve scouted the web for what we believe some very unique food and drink packaging designs.

The cover of the container is multi-functional. Aside from being a cover, the handle can be used as a spoon to scope the butter.

Thelma’s Cookies: Ordinary packaging is turned into an oven with delicious treats inside.

The package has a picture of a man with an afro hair but the hair portion is transparent so that the color of the cookie gives the black color for the hair.

Doritos comes with this ingenious diagonal packaging.

Coca Cola’s stylish cup design monitors the level of soda as the drinker quenches their thirst.

Friss Eggs three-dimensional packaging is captivating but the bare sides give eggs the risk of breaking.

This is a simply gorgeous packaging design for a premium extra-virgin olive oil brand. The packaging positions the product as a luxury ingredient, not just something to splash on a salad.

Smirnoff: The bottle can be peeled, which gives an impression as if you are peeling a fruit.

Sharpie has always been a handy tool illustrators used to break down any barrier in the way of their Creative realm. It’s only right that their ads leave lasting impressions keeping consumers happily engaged.

Below, are a few cool and attention-grabbing campaigns that has helped Sharpie leave its mark in whiteboard sessions and projects around the world.

The chisel, paintbrush, and canvas all made it on a page of an Art 101 book. However, we may sometimes forget the critical role a Sharpie plays in a Creative’s career path. Sharpie received the prestigious 2012 TED Award for “Ads Worth Spreading” . Highlighting inspirational testimonies of designers storyboard scribbling success stories. One video that soley an s emotional selling point is the flick with Sharpie Squad member Cheeming Boey, a young Californian illustrator who grew up on a Malaysian bird farm and has found minor fame in the U.S. art world for his Sharpie Illustrations on Styrofoam cups reminding us that it can all start with Sharpie.

This video was one of a 3 video Back to school campaign created by Draftfcb in Chicago— starring quirky Sharpie users, who use the implements as tools of self-expression.

The second video stars Mark Rivard, who creates custom skateboard designs with Sharpies:

Erica Domesek, uses a Sharpie fabric marker to turn a pencil case into a purse:

The “It starts with Sharpie,”campaign soon probed the next evolution of a campaign, “Uncap what’s inside.” This multichannel campaign includes new packaging and a newly redesigned website at Sharpie.com, which nicely showcases the work of Boey and others in the “Sharpie Squad.” The site also encourages fans to send in their own Sharpie-produced artwork for a chance to be featured on their website and YouTube channel

“Uncap What’s Inside Campaign” Sharpie’s Poster Paint markers

“Uncap What’s Inside” Introducing the Sharpie twin tip marker

“Uncap what’s inside” Twin Tip Marker

“Uncap What’s Inside” Sharpie Twin Tip marker

Clever print ads were recently created by Miami Ad School students. These images depict how behind every great ad, “It all started with a Sharpie”.

Inside Macintosh’s Meeting of the Mind

Perfecting the Playboy logo

Doodling one of the most renowned logos for Rolling Stones

These ads are but only a few of Sharpie’s extensive, intriguing rolodex of campaigns. They not only market the Sharpie brand, but also gives credit to the Artists who faithfully use this tool probably as much as they use their toothbrush! The art department at Sharpie doesn’t just stop at their Headquarters -It is as infinite as there are artists with a creative Eureka look to sketch down their new work.

Billboard for Rabbit Pizza Made from Dead Rabbits:

As we approach the Easter holiday, New Zealand pizza chain Hell Pizza, popular for their attention-grabbing marketing campaigns, has revealed their newest billboard advertisement that has stirred controversy among animal rights activists because it is covered in rabbit skin. The rabbit ad is Hell Pizza’s latest provocative marketing stunt. In the past, the restaurant has mailed out condoms as part of a promotion for its “Lust” pizza.

Today marks the 50th year of National Small Business Week. Although many things have changed over the years with the fluctuation of the global economy, one thing that has not changed is America’s entrepreneurial spirit.

In efforts to recognize all of these small, but crucial components that make up our economy, National Business Week is a national recognition event to honor the top, go-getters of America.

This year offers daylong events held in Seattle, WA; Dallas, TX; Saint Louis, MO; Pittsburg, PA; and Washington D.C. Panel forums include topics on government contracting, health care, access to capital, and international trade among with a plethora of keynotes and presentations from notary entrepreneurs.

Primarily, small businesses are privately owned and operated; and are not dominated in its field nationally. Size standards that constitute whether the organization can be considered a “small business” vary depending on industry differences. While large conglomerates are looking for bail outs and spending cuts, America’s small businesses are the engines of job creation. Small businesses create seven out of ten new jobs and employ over half of the country’s private sector. (SBA Office of Advocacy)

Numbers don’t lie:

Research claims that small businesses create two out of three net new private sector jobs in our economy. And today, half of Americans either own or work for a small business.

There are an estimated 29.6 million small businesses in the United States.

Compliance with environmental regulations costs small businesses four times more than large firms. (NFIB)

66% of small businesses are maintaining or increasing spend on digital marketing – AT&T Small Business Technology Poll 2013

Since 1990, as big business eliminated 4 million jobs, small businesses added 8 million new jobs.

Small business account for:

52.6% of all retail sales

46.8% of all wholesale sales

24.8% of all manufacturing sales

Let’s keep the Small Business pendulum swinging:

In honor of National Small Business Week, Collideascopes will be posting articles highlighting the small business that did what it required to make a mark in their industry, tips to apply so your business doesn’t go belly up, case studies, and innovative solutions and trends in the market.

Let’s take a day and go to our local market for groceries one night, support an off-Broadway show, or book a photo-shoot with the community photographer. You will surely get a bang for your buck, along with see firsthand what benefit you provide for the ambitious entrepreneur!

With Ray Lewis playing his last game, the Harbough sibling rivalry for the Lombardi Trophy, and the electrifying performance by Beyonce Knowles, there was a lot of excitement with this year’s Super Bowl. There was, however, one surprise that no one was prepared for -The 35 minute Blackout. Yes, half of the Superdome went without power towards the end of the third quarter preventing the game to continue.

As technicians frantically scrambled around trying to resolve this issue, the anxiety of the players and coaches heightened. They were only a few commercials during this unforeseen incident (all CBS in house promos) while the rest of the time was filled with commentary about the players stats and uncertain updates regarding the power failure with the occasional pause for the commentators to collect their thoughts on what they would say next. Clearly, nobody was prepared for something so unexpected. –Especially the owners of CBS. After all, marketers make enormous investments for a 30 second commercial slot. If we were to estimate 4 million dollars per 30 second slot during the duration of the blackout, CBS would have made a womping total of 4.2 billion dollars!

I’m sure next year CBS will be better prepared for any unplanned situations. One thing I would suggest is upselling their advertising slots for any potential delays in the game. If there are no incidents, with the technological advances dealing with the World Wide Web, CBS and the Marketers should create an agreement where the ads that were not featured on television, would be features on the Live Stream for a discounted price.